Last week I touched on our need to obey God and some issues through the book of Jeremiah that Judah was not willing to turn from their idol worship and obey God. I challenged us to be willing to obey before God "helped" us obey, i.e. discipline/punishment, as Jeremiah was called to warn Judah of.
Thinking more about the book of Jeremiah, and looking historically in 2 Kings, we see that King Josiah (he was 8 when he started to rule!) decided to bring back the law and try to clean up the idol worship. 2 Kings 23:25 (ESV) "before him (King Josiah) there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him." Outwardly it looked like Judah (2 tribes of the nation of Israel after divide) was coming back to the LORD. They were doing lip service and following their king. 2 Kings 22:3 (ESV) "and the king (King Josiah) stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statues with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant." But as we read in Jeremiah, their hearts were not following the King. Jeremiah 17:5 (ESV) "thus says the LORD: "cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD."
It is true that there are times when Israel/Judah was called to just obey, and we can apply that to our lives. I may not want to be kind to those around me, but sometimes I need to just obey. But we cannot live our lives in an ongoing obligation mode. Something must change in our hearts. It is a choice we make, and it is the Holy Spirit (those of us who have believed and trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and God) who helps us to have softened hearts towards the things of God. When that happens the obedience is just an overflow of our hearts.
It is one thing to have charge of a compliant child. Things get done, there seems to be peace. Oh but how much better is it to have a child that has a softened heart by God and they trust and obey you because their hearts are obedient. That is God's desire for us as His children.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 (ESV) "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."
Quote from the notes in Gospel Transformation Bible (ESV), Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
In reference to Jeremiah 17:9-10
"The heart--that is, the center of willing and desiring that drives all that we do-is so deceitful that none can really understand it. But the Lord can and does search our inmost thoughts, and nothing is hidden from him (cf. 1 Cor. 4:5). Ezekiel saw the need for God to give us cleansed and renewed hearts (Ezek. 36:25-28). Jesus recalls Ezekiel's words when he declares to Nicodemus the need to be born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5).
Sin will continue to cling to us our whole lives long, but the gospel of grace does not simply forgive us and then leave us as we were. God changes us. He gives us a thirst for holiness and re-sensitizes us to true beauty. We become human again."
May we be ready as Christians to be obedient even when we don't want to. Let's not stop there...Let us pray that God would change our hearts towards the attitude and mindset that would bring Him glory. Our joy will overflow, we will serve others with a cheerful heart, and we may end up being asked why we are the way we are and be given an opportunity to share the Gospel and the Hope we have in Christ Jesus.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Obey Or I will Help You Obey
Early this week I had the honor of being "dorm Aunt" to 7 of my nieces and nephews. The evening after supper was filled with baths, pjs, teeth brushing, devotions, then bed. The older kids were able to stay up and we played a game before they were hearded off to bed. In the morning the routine was getting everyone up (if they hadn't woken up yet) and ready. Then we'd all head over to Grandpa and Grandma's house and I'd head off to work.
At one point in the morning one of the little ones was not following my direction. I repeated again what to do...with still no response. I then said "are you going to obey or do I need to help you obey!?" The little one then straightened up and went quickly into obedience. I have often used this phrase and it usually always works. There is is the rare time I have to "help" them obey.
In Sunday school at my church we have been going through the book of Jeremiah. We are only to chapter 11, but I have already been learning so much! What a heart this dear prophet Jeremiah had. And the continued just love of God! One of the themes I have found has been obedience and "they did not obey the word of God." (passages with the word obey, obedience, did not obey: Jeremiah 3:13,25; 7:23-24,28; 9:13; 11:7-8; 22:4-5,21; 25:8; 26:13; 32:23; 34:10,17; 35:8,10,14,16,18; 38:20; 40:3; 42:6,21)
God was fed up after continuing to repeat Himself through the prophets. He was giving one more final warning "Obey or I will help you obey!" i.e. come back to me or a nation you do not yet know (Babylon) will come in and destroy all you hold dear and you will be taken captive for 70s years till you can learn to trust me and obey me.
Some things I gleaned from these passages so far:
Harsh words--The language used is very strong and somewhat harsh, but it has been long awaited and perhaps overdue (although God's timing is perfect in how He deals with His people). Are there times in your life where people in leadership have "lost it" and yelled at you? Although they are not God, was there some validity in their tone? Are there times when we need some sturn language from the Bible or others to wake us up to look at our actions?
Warnings--God again and again first with Israel (who had been dispersed by this time), and now with Judah...to repent and turn away from idols. Instead of trusting God to provide for their food, family, and other necessities, the Hebrews were looking at gods to provide. Application: What areas in our lives are we asking God for wisdom, direction, and provision...then we go and "answer" our own prayers without trusting and waiting for God? Are we relying on technology, people, jobs, money, etc. more than being still and letting the Living Word aline our lives with Christ?
Repent--God was calling Judah to repent from the way they were living and even the way they were thinking as they were surrounding themselves with the culture of their day. Are there areas in our lives that we are allowing our culture to determine how we live our lives rather than what Scripture says? When God reveals things to us through the Bible and through other believers, are we willing to repent, confess, and let God take control of that area in our life?
In short: Are we going to obey...or does God need to help us obey?
At one point in the morning one of the little ones was not following my direction. I repeated again what to do...with still no response. I then said "are you going to obey or do I need to help you obey!?" The little one then straightened up and went quickly into obedience. I have often used this phrase and it usually always works. There is is the rare time I have to "help" them obey.
In Sunday school at my church we have been going through the book of Jeremiah. We are only to chapter 11, but I have already been learning so much! What a heart this dear prophet Jeremiah had. And the continued just love of God! One of the themes I have found has been obedience and "they did not obey the word of God." (passages with the word obey, obedience, did not obey: Jeremiah 3:13,25; 7:23-24,28; 9:13; 11:7-8; 22:4-5,21; 25:8; 26:13; 32:23; 34:10,17; 35:8,10,14,16,18; 38:20; 40:3; 42:6,21)
Jeremiah, with the direction of God, pleaded with Judah to repent and come back into obedience to God. Jeremiah 3:24-25(ESV) 24 “But
from our youth the shameful thing has devoured all for which our
fathers labored, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their
daughters. 25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our dishonor cover us. For we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.”
God was fed up after continuing to repeat Himself through the prophets. He was giving one more final warning "Obey or I will help you obey!" i.e. come back to me or a nation you do not yet know (Babylon) will come in and destroy all you hold dear and you will be taken captive for 70s years till you can learn to trust me and obey me.
Some things I gleaned from these passages so far:
Harsh words--The language used is very strong and somewhat harsh, but it has been long awaited and perhaps overdue (although God's timing is perfect in how He deals with His people). Are there times in your life where people in leadership have "lost it" and yelled at you? Although they are not God, was there some validity in their tone? Are there times when we need some sturn language from the Bible or others to wake us up to look at our actions?
Warnings--God again and again first with Israel (who had been dispersed by this time), and now with Judah...to repent and turn away from idols. Instead of trusting God to provide for their food, family, and other necessities, the Hebrews were looking at gods to provide. Application: What areas in our lives are we asking God for wisdom, direction, and provision...then we go and "answer" our own prayers without trusting and waiting for God? Are we relying on technology, people, jobs, money, etc. more than being still and letting the Living Word aline our lives with Christ?
Repent--God was calling Judah to repent from the way they were living and even the way they were thinking as they were surrounding themselves with the culture of their day. Are there areas in our lives that we are allowing our culture to determine how we live our lives rather than what Scripture says? When God reveals things to us through the Bible and through other believers, are we willing to repent, confess, and let God take control of that area in our life?
In short: Are we going to obey...or does God need to help us obey?
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